


Home for Christmas

by Emma89



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-16 16:09:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9279359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma89/pseuds/Emma89
Summary: Judy is going home for Christmas. Nick, as a rookie to the ZPD, has to work shifts over the holiday. But there is a certain other fox that will make this holiday in Bunnyburrow one to remember.Rated M for future chapters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BaronPuddinPaws](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronPuddinPaws/gifts).



> This is part of an art/fanfic trade I’m doing over on Tumblr. Its taking me longer to finish than I hoped, but I hope to be done soon! It was supposed to be Christmas story, It still is, but just in January instead. Thought I could post it her as well now that I have an account here :)

With its constant artificial climates, Zootopia never allowed you to appreciate the change of the seasons. Sure, if you wanted winter, you could always visit the fish market in Tundratown. And summer could always be found in the sandy plains of Sahara Square. But there was no in-between.

As the train sped towards Bunnyburrow, Judy sat smiling in her window seat, watching as the wide fields and soft hills unfolding around her. The first snowfall was yet to arrive, but the ground was frozen, and the dark dirt of the fields lay hard and barren. Sparkling with frost in the cold December sun, they lay ready for spring and the farmers’ plough and seed.

Even though the big city with its bright lights and buzzing life had grown very dear to her, Judy found herself always a country-bunny at heart.  

The Bunnyburrow station building was adorned with holiday lights. Nothing like the flashing red and green lights that threatened to send you into a seizure, but warm white lights lining the roof and walls. Evergreen branches were tied to the pillars and a small Christmas tree stood proudly in the middle of the platform.

Some may have called the stationmaster and city council of Bunnyburrow old fashioned, but Judy had always liked the charm of the traditional Christmas decorations. Even more now that she had moved to Zootopia.

She had wanted to share all this with Nick. The big city fox would probably make some mocking remarks at first, but she knew he would have loved to come anyway. Sadly, since he was fresh out of the academy, he had to work shifts at the station over the holiday break. A rookie’s duty, one Judy herself had fulfilled the previous year.

Nick had assured her it would be fine; Grizzoli had volunteered to partner with him; the big bear had taken Nick under his wing. Besides, Nick had added, he would get Christmas dinner at his mother’s place. In addition, it was usually so quiet during the holidays that he and the others would probably just play darts and patrol empty streets all day. Maybe even get some paperwork done.

The last part Judy would believe when she saw it. Nick would rarely do his own paperwork; he usually bribed poor Clawhouser to do it for him.

As the train came to a stop, Judy could already see her parents and a selection of her siblings gathered on the platform to greet her. Especially Jill made her smile on sight; the little bunny was wrapped in a too big hand-me-down sweater, the sleeves adorably rolled up several times over her mitten covered paws.

“Judyyyy!”

Within seconds of getting off the train, Judy was almost knocked to the ground by a horde of bunny kits jumping over each other to give their big sister a hug.

“Give your sister some room kiddoes!” Stu called after them, working his way between his kits until he reached his daughter.

“Welcome home Judes” he said, giving her a hug himself. Even though he tried to stay unmoved, his voice got a little thicker. Stuart Hopps was, and always would be, an emotional bunny.

“Hi sweetie” Bonnie walked around her husband and embraced her daughter, giving her cheek a quick nuzzle.

Stu picked up her suitcase, and the three made their way across the platform, surrounded by her siblings, all asking questions on top of each other.

Falling a little behind her parents while busy talking with her sibling, Judy did not notice that her parents slowed down as they approached the station building.

“Afternoon’ Mr. H” A familiar voice drawled, making Judy look up to find Gideon Grey standing in front of them, resting his forearms on the handles of a large trolley. In the cold December air, he had swapped his usual plaid shirt for a warm knitted sweater. Making him, if possible, look even more country than before.

The mass of tiny bunnies around Judy practically exploded with excited squeals at the sight of the fox they had come to associate with free sweets and cookies.

“Ah! Mercy!” The baker begged with a smile spreading over his snout as the two dozen bunnies surrounded him.   
“I ain’t got nothin’ for ya’ll today, sorry” He held his paws up to demonstrate that they were empty, prompting a series of pouts from the kits.

“Gid! Your tail is so warm” Jill had managed to get behind Gideon, rolling his fluffy tail around herself like a large scarf.  
“Jill! We’ve talked about this” Bonnie scolded, shooting Gideon an embarrassed and apologetic glance.  
“Eh, no harm done Mrs. H” he replied, carefully lifting his tail away from Jill. “But I’m gonna need that back sweet-pea”

Judy covered her mouth with her paw, failing to conceal her chuckle as Jill shamelessly hung on to Gideon’s tail.

Gideon’s ears perked up at the sound of her chuckle, and he quickly forgot all about trying to retrieve his tail. He had not noticed Judy walking behind her parents, and suddenly seeing her standing in front of him made him forget himself for a second.

“Hi Gideon” Judy greeted as their eyes met, the smile on her face pure and spontaneous.

“Judy” Gideon said, taken off guard. “I- I didn’t know ya was comin’ home already”

“Home for the holidays” Judy confirmed, folding her paws behind her back.

Gideon only ever saw Judy when she would visit her parents during her vacations. Usually he would hear from Stu when she would come by, the carrot farmer always talked quite proudly off his daughter. This gave Gideon a few days warning, allowing him some time to bottle up the inevitable excitement he felt at the prospect of seeing her again.

She had not been home last Christmas, and he had just assumed she would not be this year either. He never thought to ask the Hoppses if she had planned on visiting. As a result, he was now left with trying to conceal everything on the spot. Not an easy task, especially not when she was smiling up at him with her large amethyst eyes that never failed to take his breath away a little.

“You picking up the sugar delivery?” Stu nodded towards the large trolley Gideon was pushing.  
“Yea, them apples ain’t gonna caramel themselves” Gideon shrugged with a half-smile. He almost put his paw over his own face: witty humour had never been his strong suite, and he could only imagine how lame he had just sounded.

“Ain’t that the truth” Stu said jovially, hooking his thumbs under his overalls.   
“We’re joining forces this year” He added proudly, elbowing Judy lightly in the arm. “Gid here’s gonna join our booth, being his first year on the market”

“Really?” Judy asked surprised, crooking her head at Gideon. “The best baker in the Tri-Burrows haven’t had a booth at the Christmas market yet?”

“Ah, I- I hadn’t gotten round ta applyin’ to the counsel for it-” Gideon answered, feeling the heat rise to his ears at Judy calling him _the best baker in the Tri-Burrows_.

“So of course we had him share ours” Bonnie added in her usual mild manner.

“An’ at’s mighty kind of ya” Gideon said. It was probably the tenth time since Stu and Bonnie had insisted he join them that he had repeated that statement.

“But ya’ll have ta excuse me” He said, nodding towards the pallet full of bags of sugar being unloaded from the train.   
“I’ll see y’all at the market then?” He asked, hopeful to see one member of the Hopps clan in particular.

“Sure thing!” Stu confirmed. “Even got Janet watchin’ the kiddoes for the evenin’” He said, putting his arm around Bonnie.

Judy noticed how Gideon’s eyes flickered expectantly over to her for a moment, and she felt an unexpected flutter in her chest.  
“I wouldn’t miss it” She said.

Gideon nodded, trying his best to find the right balance of nonchalant and friendly, without seeming to eager, but failed.

“Great! I mean at’s great, it’s a good one this year” He rushed to recover himself, feeling his ears grow hotter. He needed to get away before he said something stupid.  
“Y’all have a good evenin’, I’ll go get my sugar” He said hurriedly, giving them each a quick nod before walking past them to the train.

When they were out of earshot, Bonnie leaned towards her husband.

“Did he seem a little on edge to you dear?”  
“Nah, that’s just Gid” Stu assured her. “Prolly just nervous about the market”

* * *

 

The Bunnyburrow Christmas market took place on the last weekend before Christmas Eve every year. Traditionally decked out wooden booths and stands circled around the fountain in the middle of town. The old buildings and cobblestone streets made the perfect setting for an old-fashioned Christmas market. Strings of light and mistletoe hung between the houses, bathing everything in a warm glow.

As if to put the final touch on the atmosphere, big soft snowflakes had started falling from the sky as soon as the market opened. By morning, the whole of Bunnyburrow would be transformed into a picturesque winter wonderland.

Judy walked between the booths with a paper cup of hot mulled wine in her mitten-covered paws, enjoying the remaining of the market before she would have to help her parents take down their booth.

The frosty air was full with all the scents that belonged to this time of the year: cinnamon and caramel, apples and burning firewood. Judy drew it all in in one deep breath, letting it out in a large cloud into the cold air.

It had been nice catching up with old friends; Sharla and Gareth were still living in town. Sharla even had two little lambs of her own already. Judy had intended on spending more time helping her parents in their booth, but Gideon had them covered. Besides, with the husky fox and two grown rabbits in there, it would have become crowded fast.

Not that she would mind terribly being closer to Gideon.   
Coming around the fountain, she got a clear view of her parents’ booth. Gideon was handing out the last candied apples, laughing heartily at something the customers said.

Judy found herself standing in place, watching Gideon as he ran a cloth over the benchtop, absentmindedly brushing his bangs out if his eyes. He had swapped his usual pink apron with a red one for the occasion, the collar of his regular blue flannel poking up under the warm brown sweater he was wearing.  

He seemed so… safe. Gideon’s transformation from a schoolyard bully to the friendly small-town baker was not something Judy had seen coming. Their paths had never crossed after high school, not before the Nighthowler incident one and a half years ago.

Judy did not see him that often, but each time she did, something changed. It was as if she was gradually pulled closer to him, wanting a little more each time. It was subtle; she had not given it any thought before yesterday on the platform.   
Now she found herself wondering if maybe she was-

As if on que, Gideon looked up from what he was doing and met her eyes. Judy almost spilled the contents of her cup trying to conceal the fact that she had been staring.

He gave her a short wave, and Judy thought she might as well walk over now that he had spotted her. The other vendors were already beginning to close up for the night, and Gideon was all out of pies and candied apples.

“Thought I should give you guys a hand cleaning up” She said while walking over to him.

Glancing behind the large fox, she noticed he had already done most of the work. His large pink van was parked just behind the booth, doors open as he had already begun gathering things up.  

“Where’s my parents?” Judy asked, noticing the absence of the two.

“Ah, Janet called. Think the little ‘uns got a little outta hand” Gideon answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yea” Judy chuckled. “That tends to happen”

“I said I could close up ‘n drive ya home, if ya needed a ride, or if ya ‘ave other plans, at’s fine”   
Gideon held the cloth in both paws to keep himself from fiddling about with his claws. He always had the urge to do that when he talked to her.

“Thanks, I’d appreciate a ride in this weather” Judy smiled, brushing the snow of her shoulders as she stepped under the roof.

“Here”   
Before he managed to think it through, Gideon stuffed the cloth in his back pocket, reached out, and brushed the rest of the snow off Judy’s coat.

Judy stood unmoving; watching Gideon’s large paws gently brush over her arms. She looked up to meet a pair of icy blue eyes, and for one split second, it felt like everything stopped moving around them.

Gideon did not dare to breathe, he was standing too close to her and his heart was beginning to pund as it caught up with the situation. Clearing his throat, he quickly took a step back.

“Better get movin’, roads ain’t gettin’ any better” He gestured out at the ever falling snow.

“Right” Judy snapped out of the moment. Grabbing a pile of empty pie boxes, she hurriedly began stacking them in the back of the van.

With his back turned to her, Gideon closed his eyes for a minute, taking two deep breaths. He needed to pull himself together if he was to avoid making a complete idiot of himself. Sighing, he bent down, getting out the pots he had used for the caramel on the candied apples.

“Ya can put these in the front” He instructed, handing them to Judy who were standing in the back of the van.

To avoid getting the sticky caramel on his sweater, Gideon had messily pulled up his sleeves, ruffling the thick fur on his forearms in the process. If she had not been standing in the van, Judy would have missed it, but under the Christmas lights she saw it clear as day: Four pale scars ran the length of Gideon’s left forearm, as if someone had grabbed him at the elbow and held on as he pulled himself free.

He must have seen her staring, because Gideon quickly smoothed the fur back down after handing her the pots, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

“Sorry” Judy muttered, placing the pots in the front of the van.   
“How did you-” she began, before cutting herself off. It was none of her business anyway.

“Nah, ain’t no secret” Gideon shrugged. “Err’yone knows what kinda fox my Pa was” His voice was dripping with a bitterness Judy had never heard from him before.

“I’m sorry” Judy said softly.

The thought of a father hurting his own son made her nearly sick. True, the late Mr. Grey had been known to be a mean old tod, and Gideon had very much lived up to his reputation in his earlier years. But it did not make it any less wrong in her eyes.

“Ya ‘ave the least reason ta feel sorry for me” Gideon muttered, almost too low for her to hear. He turned back to the booth, and began coiling up the extension cord lying on the ground.

“Gideon” Judy climbed out of the van, reaching out to put her paw on his arm. Before she could continue however, the Gazelle cover of _All I want for Christmas_ played from her pocket.

Gideon gave her a quick understanding smile that did not really reach his eyes, before he continued coiling up the extension cord.

Judy ran a frustrated paw over her ears, who called this late anyway?

Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she frowned when she recognised the number of precinct one on her screen.   
With a sinking feeling to her stomach, Judy put the phone to her ear.

“This is Hopps” she answered wearily, leaning back against the side of the van.

“Judy? Judy, I’m so sorry” Clawhouser sounded through the speaker, the tone of his voice already telling Judy what she feared most before he spoke the words.

“Nick’s been shot”


	2. Chapter 2

"Clawhouser, you tell me where he is right now!"

Gideon stood motionless with the coil of cords between his paws as Judy shrieked into her cell phone. Tears were beginning to stream down her face, and Gideon was becoming increasingly worried.

"Oh gosh, I don't know which hospital- I just now heard the call over the radio, was going to wait to call you until they had gotten him in- but then I thought you'd have my tail for not telling you right away. Judy I'm so sorry"

Clawhouser was rambling on the other end of the line, doing nothing to calm Judy down. She could feel her breath beginning to border on hyperventilating, the images of Nick lifeless and bleeding on the cold streets of Zootopia flashing through her mind. Clawhouser was right about one thing though, she would have had his tail if he had not told her.

"I'm coming in. You find the name of that hospital ASAP!" Judy had to focus; she needed to get to her partner.

"Now?” Clawhouser said in disbelief. “The roads are a mess, nothing but accident reports for the entire evening-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Judy screamed into the phone before hanging up. Her head snapped up at Gideon, and she had a desperation in her eyes that nearly made Gideon back away at its intensity.

"Gideon, I need to borrow your van- or if you could drive me home, I could take the truck- but I need to get to the precinct, I need to get to Nick-I-I-" Judy had to cover her mouth with her paw to stifle the sob that surfaced. 

Gideon had not gotten much out of the conversation, but if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Judy was not driving anywhere in this weather in the state she was in if he had anything to say about it.

"Judy?" He said softly, putting the coil of cords down on the ground. "Judy, what's goin’ on?"

He took a few cautious steps towards her, worryingly searching her face for any sign that might tell him what had put her in such a state.

"Nick-" She began, having to take a moment to steady her voice. "Nick's been shot, and I need to get to him, but I don't know which hospital he’s in. I need to get back to him. Should never have left him alone, I should-" The tears cut her off, and she leaned back against the side of the van, closing her eyes against the steady stream of tears.

"This ain't your fault" Gideon knelt down in front of her and put his paw on her shoulder. He wanted to do more, but could not think of anything. Instead, he just let his thumb stroke back and forth over her shoulder in a soothing motion.

What could he say anyway? What he knew about cop partnerships he had from TV-series. He could only imagine what Judy was going through at the moment, and not knowing was probably the worst bit about it.

Officers Wilde and Hopps had become quite the household names after the whole Nighthowler affair, and the first fox and rabbit on the force were predicted to have promising careers in front of them.

Gideon would never admit this to anyone, but he had read every article, seen every news-clip on znn.com involving Judy. As a result, he had also seen a lot of street hustler turned police officer Nick Wilde. Though he tried very hard to like him, he could not.

One picture especially, taken right after Bellwether’s arrest, still held the power to ruin his day if he happened upon it while scrolling through the news. Journalists loved to use it in anything remotely related to the pair or the Nighthowler affair.

Nick and Judy were walking out of the Natural History Museum, the Chief of the ZPD and an entire squadron of large mammal police officers behind them. Nick had his arm around Judy’s waist, keeping her steady as they made their way down the stairs. She had her paw on his shoulder, holding on to his shirt.  
The lucky photographer had caught them sharing a warm smile, and it always left Gideon with a hollow feeling inside his chest.

"I-I need to get to Nick" Judy pleaded again, her big teary amethyst eyes on his. "Please Gideon"

Those eyes were going to be the death of him some day. He knew it. Nevertheless, he was not going to risk her safety by allowing her to drive alone on snowed down roads through parts of the Burrows that did not even have cell phone coverage.

"I'll drive ya" As if on que, a harsh gush of wind swept through the streets, making the door at the back of his van slam shut. "I honestly think it ain't safe ta-night. But I'll drive ya"

Deep down Judy knew Gideon was right. It was promising to be quite the blizzard tonight, and old Mack would not be out with his snowplough until morning. They risked becoming snowed in in the middle of nowhere, but the thought of Nick wounded and alone made her nauseous. 

She glanced up at Gideon still kneeling in front of her, his icy blue eyes concerned searching her face. Judy suddenly realised she really needed a hug, and Gideon’s warm sweater and concerned expression made him look more inviting than ever. She was just about to give up and let herself fall forward into his chest when Gazelle’s voice once again cut through the air.

Gideon let go of her shoulder, but remained on his knees in the snow in front of her as Judy answered the phone. 

"Clawhouser?"  She failed to keep her voice from trembling.  
"He's at Zootopia General, it was the closest one, but pleeeease tell me you're not driving right now?" Clawhouser asked anxiously.  
"No, no, not yet" Judy said, feeling the initial desperation settling somewhat.

"Thank goodness. Nick's in surgery, Grizzoli says it’s not life threatening, I've told him to call you as soon as he's out. Please: Don’t drive tonight"  
"Thank you Clawhouser" Judy said, purposefully ignoring the last part.  
"Judy, I'm serious. I've got nothing but accident reports for the last hour. And I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure Chief big B will find a way to blame me if two of ZPD's finest wind up in hospital on the same night."  
"Claw-"  
"I repeat: Do.Not.Drive.Tonight" the cheetah said insistently.

 “But-” Judy begun, glancing up at Gideon still kneeling in front of her. She had never understood how his icy blue eyes managed to look so warm.

“I’ll drive ya to the city first thing in the mornin’, I promise, please Judy…” Gideon said pleadingly, clearly agreeing with Clawhouser regarding the driving conditions.

The initial fire from when she had first gotten the news had completely died down, and Judy felt the cold winter air beginning to seep into her bones.

“You promise me it’s not life or death?” She asked into the phone, pulling her jacket closer around herself with a shiver as another gush of wind rushed through the streets.

“Grizzoli told me himself”

Grizzoli was one of those types that always told it as it was. Never more, never less. The Chief had a great respect for him, and if there ever were a case in court, you would bet on him sending Grizzoli if he had the chance. He would never lie to protect anyone’s feelings, for better or worse.

Judy nodded silently. “Ok” she finally said. “But I’ll be there as soon as the weather clears”

She glanced up at Gideon who nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.

“Thank you” Clawhouser sighed with relief. “I’ll call as soon as I know more, if not Grozzoli calls you first. You take care, alright?”

“Yea” Judy mumbled.

She stood motionless with her phone in her paw after Clawhouser hung up. Her fingers were going numb, and she could feel the numbness slowly spreading through the rest of her body.

“Let’s get ya home” Gideon said silently, carefully leading Judy to the passenger side of the van. She followed with him without protest, her eyes distant, looking at nothing in particular.

Gideon was quick to crank up the heat in the van, the warm air blasting noisily as he drove down the narrow cobblestone streets. He glanced over at Judy whenever the visibility allowed it. Her silence and apparent apathy made him uneasy. Just minutes before she had been all fired up and demanding to drive back to the city. Now she just seemed emotionless, filling the van with a thick silence that made Gideon uncomfortable on top of everything else.

At least it provided him with an opportunity to concentrate on the road as they drove out of town. There were no streetlights out here along the dirt roads, and it neared an almost complete whiteout outside as the snow began to fall in earnest.

“Ya get yourself some hot cocoa and some sleep, and I’ll pick ya up first thing in the mornin’” Gideon said as he drove painstakingly slow towards the Hopps’ driveway. Hoping that reminding her of his promise to drive her back to Zootopia would garner some positive reaction.

Judy could just catch a glimpse of the lights in her parents’ house at the end of the driveway through the thick curtain of falling snow. They were probably still up, including most of her siblings since school was out. The thought of being surrounded by her family suddenly made her feel claustrophobic. In fact, the van itself felt like it was beginning to suffocate her. Judy tried to take a couple of deep calming breaths, but it felt like there was not enough oxygen in the air.

Nick was shot. Nick was bleeding. Nick was in surgery. With scalpels cutting into him while he lay there unconscious.

“Gideon, stop.”

Gideon barely had time to pull over on the shoulder of the road before Judy flung the door open into the black and white night.

Judy took the cold air down in gulps, breathing in more than a couple of snowflakes in the process. She supported herself on the hood of the van, bending over as she heaved for air. The road in front of her was pitch black, save the headlights of Gideon’s van lighting up the snowflakes as they hurled around in the wind.

Gideon made his way around the front of the car, finding Judy sobbing and gulping for air. Hunched over with an arm around her middle as if she was in pain.

“Judy, Judy, calm down” Gideon put both his paws on her shoulders in an attempt to soothe her.  He felt incredibly ill equipped to handle this situation, and searched her pained face for any sign of what he should do.

“I can’t breathe” Judy managed between sobs. Instead of leaning on the hood of the van, her paws now closed into tight fists around the sleeves of Gideon’s sweater, tugging at the fabric. That was all the encouragement Gideon needed, and he carefully pulled her away from the van and into a warm hug, wrapping his tail around the back of her legs to shield her from the cold.

He began to take deliberately long and steady breaths, feeling his chest rise and fall against hers. Slowly, but surly Judy’s breathing began to match his own, her desperate sobbing gradually dying down.

“At’s it, deep breaths. ‘Ere ya go darlin’, everythin’s gonna be just fine” Gideon whispered into the fur on the top of her head. Judy was clinging to his sweater as if he was the only thing that kept her from drowning, burying her face against his shoulder.  

Gushes of cold wind ruffled his exposed fur, but Judy was warm in his arms and the sensation of her small body against his almost made Gideon sigh with satisfaction. He could not help but take a couple of deep draws of her scent, reveling in the moment. A wave of guilt came crashing down on him as soon as he did.

Here he was, actually enjoying the fact that Judy was heartbroken because her partner, a police officer who risked his life in the line of duty on a daily basis, had been shot and lay fighting for his life right at this moment.

When was the last time he had risked his life for anything? That was right, never. Gideon closed his eyes in self-resentment for a second, before carefully patting a paw against Judy’s back.

“Ya can’t stay out here. Ya gonna freeze solid” he muttered, carefully loosening his hold on her. Judy kept her arms around his torso, holding on to the back of his sweater with tight fists, showing no sign of wanting to let go.  
“I can’t go home, I just- I just can’t handle it all right now” Judy seemed like she would begin to hyperventilate again, and Gideon was quick to put his arms back around her.

“At’s alright, at’s fine” he assured her, searching his mind for another option. “How ‘bout your grandparent’s?”

Old Mr. and Mrs Hopps lived just up the road from Judy’s parents. He would have to turn and drive back, but it was not further off than he would be able to manage in this weather.

“No..” Judy meekly shook her head against his chest.

Judy knew she was probably being audacious, but for some reason she could not bear the thought of being surrounded by her family right now. Though they meant well, it could all become a bit much.  

Gideon’s big warm arms around her felt like the only thing holding her together, his steady breathing calming her own. Judy realized she needed him, needed him to make her feel warm and safe.   

“Could… Could I come with you?”

Gideon stopped breathing. He tried to tell himself not to read anything into it. Her partner had been shot and she was trapped here by the weather, unable to go see him as she desperately whished too. Judy just needed a shoulder to cry on, to be somewhere quiet and calm, and he had an entire farmhouse to himself. In spite of his efforts, the sensation of her paws gripping the back of his sweater, holding him against her, made his ears grow hot in spite of the freezing wind.

 “ ’Course” Gideon managed. “Whatever ya want”

* * *

 

Gideon had continued to live in his old home after his mother had passed away, though he had sold off most of the farmland to surrounding farms. He had needed the money for his bakery, still in the startup-faze back when he had inherited the place. The house sorely needed work done, the kitchen and bathroom were dated and the exterior could use a coat of paint. 

Thankfully, the weather camouflaged the latter as Gideon and Judy hurried to the front door. It was not as if the his home was in bad shape, he kept it well, just as his mother had, but he spent most of his time working, and when he was home he was either sleeping or eating, seldom finding time to do anything else.

Standing in his cold living room though, he wished he had taken some time to brighten the place up a little. His parents’ old couch were older than he was by almost a decade, but at least it was comfortable, and he was grateful for the plentiful knitted blanket he had left out. Judy had wrapped herself in it, curling up against the cushions. She was not sobbing anymore, and her breathing had calmed, but tears were still trickling from her eyes. Her beautiful amethyst eyes.

Gideon resolutely turned his back to her, instead concentrating on stacking wood in the fireplace. He was not going to be that tod, would never be a tod who took advantage of someone’s emotional state to get what he wanted. But God help him, Judy looked so tiny and alone on his big couch, making him want nothing more than to curl up around her, embracing her entirely.

Despite his distracted mind, he soon had a fire going in the fireplace. It was the centerpiece of the living room, were his stocking had hung every Christmas when he was still a kit. It looked quite empty without it; he should probably have hung something there to make it more festive. Then again, he had not found the time.

“You don’t have a tree”

Gideon glanced up as Judy spoke unexpectedly. She still sat wrapped in the large knitted blanked, looking around his living room with curious interest.

“Pardon?”  
“A Christmas tree” Judy clarified, drying her tears with the back of her paw. “You don’t have a Christmas tree”  
“Nah” Gideon said in an apologetic tone. “Didn’t really see a reason ta get one, just me in ‘ere anyway”  
Judy got a look of pity in her eyes, and Gideon was quick to change the subject.

“How ‘bout that cocoa? It’ll prolly do ya good right ‘bout now”

With that, Gideon quickly left through the kitchen door before Judy could begin to ask what he was doing on Christmas Eve. He despised it when mammals felt sorry him, and it especially felt wrong coming from her. He did not deserve it from her.

 

Judy was still sitting in the same spot on his couch, absentmindedly watching the fireplace when Gideon came back out with two steaming mugs of cocoa. The flames played across her fur, bringing out the dark purple in her eyes. As he silently offered her one of the mugs, she shot a small grateful smile at him, making his heart melt.

“Thanks Gideon” she said, holding the hot mug in both paws, feeling the warmth spread through her fingers.  “I’m sorry for imposing on you like this, I just-”

“Don’t ya start apologizin’ ”Gideon cut her off, sitting down on the couch next to her. “At’s what friends are for, ain’t it?” He said with a smile, feeling confident that he managed to hide the sting the word _friends_ caused.

Pulling out a drawer from under the coffee table, he took out a pocket-sized steel flask, gingerly unscrewing the cap. It was one of the few things he had kept after his father; he even kept it in the same drawer. Gideon did not drink much, but a swig of something strong was sometimes the best remedy for heartache.

He poured some of the liquor into his mug, giving it a stir before offering it to Judy.

“Here” Gideon held out the flask to her. “It’ll take the edge off”

He had to admit he had an ulterior motive with offering her a drink. Gideon still worried Judy would take off into the night, attempting to drive back to the city in spite of the weather and poor driving conditions. However, Gideon knew her well enough to know that the up standing and law abiding Officer Hopps would never attempt to drive under the influence.

Judy hesitated for a moment before accepting the flask, pouring a healthy amount of the golden liquid into her cocoa. She took a large gulp, grimacing as the whisky hit the back of her throat.

“Yea, it’s an acquired taste” Gideon apologized, taking a sip of his own mug.

“Mhm” Judy swallowed and shook her head against the burn. “No, I needed that, thank you”

Gideon nodded in acknowledgement, keeping his eyes on the fireplace. There was not much space between them on the couch, and with the memory of the embrace out in the snow still fresh in his mind, Gideon did not want to risk looking at her too much. He was still conflicted about feeling happy about finally having Judy so close, and the circumstances that had resulted in it happening in the first place.

He took a large swig of his mug; nearly downing its entire contents in one go.

_I don’t want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need_

Judy jolted upright at the sound of her ringtone, nearly spilling her cocoa.

_I don’t care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree_

His large knitted blanket fell to the floor in a pile as Judy untangled herself from it in an attempt to get to the phone in her pocket.

_I just want you for my own  
More than you could-_

 “Grizzoli?” Judy almost shrieked into her phone.

“Caaaaarrotssss” a voice slurred from the other end of the line.

“Nick!?” Judy jumped in her seat, a spontaneous smile spreading across her muzzle. “Oh Nick! Are you alright?”

“Shhhh, not so loud. I’m fine, very fine. Fantastic ackschually” Nick said blissfully “I haven’t had drugs this good since that one time with Finnick in-”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t just hear that” Judy interrupted, her voice bordering on a laugh. Tears were beginning to trickle down her cheeks again, but happy ones this time.  
“Nick, what happened?” She asked in a more serious tone.

“Me and Grizzy happened on a break in” Judy thought she could hear the big polar bear in the background blowing air through his nose at the unwanted nick name. “I chased after one, he after another. Mine had a gun. Pow! Shot in the leg”

“Oh Nick-” Judy gasped, holding a paw over her mouth.

Gideon chose that moment to get up from the couch. The way she said her partners name sounded too intimate, and it did not feel right for him to sit beside her during this conversation. Better give her some privacy, and spare himself in the process.

Gideon could live with the fact that their species made any hope on his part about anything more than friendship impossible. Him being a fox was a perfectly acceptable reason for Judy not to see him in any romantic light, and he could have lived with that, however painful it was. But the thought that that was not the reason at all, and that another fox had laid claim to her heart already, was straight out agonizing. 

“Shhh, I’m fine! The other guy though, thought Grizzy was gonna grizzle him. Wait-” Judy heard some shuffling as Nick moved in the bed. “Is that what you call it? Grizzle, is that even a word, like maw and maim and grizzle?” She heard him ask.

“Wilde….” Grizzoli’s warning voice carried through to Judy.

“Alright, alright, just asking” Nick shuffled back to the phone. “Point is Carrots; I’m fine” he lowered his voice, probably in an attempt to keep Grizzoli from hearing the last part of the conversation. Not that it would matter since Nick’s slurred whisper was quite loud.

“Do you know how much game this gets me with the ladies? I swear, this nurse is giving me the bedroom eyes”

“Nick…” Judy slipped her paw over her eyes. At least he was still his usual tod-self, though a little high on anesthesia. “Can you put Grizzoli on the line please?”

“Right, right, one moment” Judy heard him turn back around in the bed. “It’s for you big guy”

“Hopps” The big bear greeted as he put the phone to his ear.

“Hi Grizzoli, how bad is it really?” Judy insisted, hoping to get a straight answer from the more experienced officer.

“Removed a slug from his thigh, 9 mill, missed the main artery” He said matter of factly. “He’ll be on crutches for a while, but it’s not serious” he added, remembering who he was talking to.

“I can be there by morning” Judy said, catching a glimpse of the old grandfather clock in Gideon’s living room; it was almost midnight already.

“Visiting hours’ not before noon, and he’ll be fine”

Nick’s voice cut through from the background. ”Hey Nurse, you wanna know how I got this scar?”

“He’ll be fine” Grizzoli repeated dryly. “Trust me Hopps, he’ll be discharged in a matter of days”

Judy hesitated, glancing over at Gideon who were politely pretending to get a refill in the kitchen. His back was turned, but she could tell from the angle of his ears that he was listening in. Judy felt torn; Nick sounded all right, and Grozzoli would never lie to her. What was more, Judy found herself not as eager to leave as before.

“Thanks Grizzoli. Could you put Nick on the phone again please?” Judy finally asked.

After some fumbling and ruffling sounds from bedsheets, Nick finally managed to hold the phone steady to his ear.

“Nick, are you sure you’ll be alright? I can be there in the morning already, as soon as the snowplow has been out”

“Relax Carrots, this isn’t my first time getting shot” Nick said nonchalantly.

Judy frowned. “Yes, yes it is”

Judy knew everything there was to know about her partner and his past, and though he had had some narrow escapes in his time, he had never been shot before. Save the blueberries in the National History Museum, which Judy was pretty sure did not count.

“Shhh, play along with me here” Nick whispered not so quietly, before continuing in an obnoxious tone: “This is nothing like the gang shoot-out we helped break up back in… That one time”  
Apparently hospital drugs inflicted his usual quick thinking and smooth talking abilities.

“Nick” Judy sighed. “Is there by any chance a nurse in the room?”

“Indeed” Nick replied, trying his best to sound like he was answering another question entirely.  
“Vixen?”  
“Affirmative”  
“Attractive?”  
“Very”

“Nick, you helped solve the political criminal plot of the century, I don’t think you need to lie about your achievements” Judy said with a chuckle, rolling her eyes.

“Oh” Nick actually sounded surprised. “I forgot about that”

Judy could not help the laugh that escaped her. “Listen Slick, take my advice and wait until the anesthetics wears off before you make the next move. Alright?”

“That might be a good idea, yea” she heard him clear his throat, apparently sobering up a little already. “Hey Carrots?”  
“Yea?”  
“Don’t come running to my bedside like some emotional bunny. I’m fine, serious. And that’s not the drugs talking.”

“Nick…” Judy began, once again finding herself looking into the kitchen at Gideon’s broad shoulders.

“I’m serious Carrots. I’ll still be here by noon tomorrow”

“You promise? Because getting shot on your first stretch without me watching your back is not doing much to convince me” Judy retorted, feeling her wittiness returning.

“I know, I’m useless without you” Nick said sarcastically. “But hey, at least I get Christmas off right?”

“That’s not funny” Judy said, laughing regardless.

“You know you love me” Nick said teasingly.  
“You’re not making it easy”  
“That wouldn’t be any fun” he snickered, making Judy fall back against the couch cushions with an annoyed sigh.   
“I’m fine, really. I practically walked myself to the ambulance” Nick said, sensing her annoyance.

“You sure?”  
“Positive, now go roast some carrots or whatever you do around Christmas, and I’ll see you tomorrow”  
“Apples” Judy corrected, knowing full well Nick knew that and only said it to annoy her.  
“Whatever” she could hear the smile in his voice. “Just don’t bring me flowers”

“Can’t promise anything” Judy chuckled, before adding sincerely “You take care Slick”  
“You too Carrots”

Judy looked down on her phone in her lap with a permanent smile on her face for several minutes after Nick hung up, feeling the relief wash over her, erasing the previous turmoil of worry and desperation from her mind.

“How’s he doin?”

Judy glanced up to find Gideon leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen door, a mild look in his eyes as he waited for her response. She wondered how long he had been standing there, watching her, and was a little surprised to find that she hoped it had been a while.

“He’s fine” she smiled, beginning to feel light headed by the relief. Or maybe that was the whisky in her cocoa taking effect. “A little high on hospital drugs, but he’s fine”

“At’s good ta hear” Gideon said, resuming his place beside her on the couch, pouring more whisky into his refilled cocoa. “He-” Gideon cleared his throat, quickly glancing over at her. “He seems ta mean a lot ta ya”

The warm smile that spread across Judy’s face as she nodded in confirmation felt like a stab to the chest.  
There it was, he was going to have to hear her say it, and then he would put a lid on his emotions and move on. Gideon clenched his teeth as he readied for the blow he knew was coming with her response.

“He does” Judy agreed, affection in her voice.

“Nick truly taught me to see past my own prejudice, to realize that foxes aren’t just shifty and untrustworthy” she gave Gideon an apologetic glance at the last words. But Gideon did not notice, he was looking into his cocoa, a melancholy expression in his eyes.  
“I guess I have a lot ta thank him fer” he said.

“Nah” Judy smiled at him. “You took care of that yourself, with your well-rehearsed apology two years ago”  
“Ah, that” Gideon chuckled embarrassed. “I was just repeatin’ what my old therapist said ta me” he took a long sip from his mug, enjoying the extra heat the whisky provided.  
“I thought it sounded a lot better ‘an what I coulda come up with myself”

Judy hid a smile in her own mug, remembering the stuttering and finger-twisting fox apologizing to her by her parents’ booth.  
“ _I’m sorry, I was a jerk_ would’ve worked just fine” she said, shooting him a teasing glance over the brim of her mug.  
“Yeah” Gideon laughed. “Recon it would”

Gideon glanced at the soft grey fur covering Judy’s cheeks, his eyes searching as they did almost every time he saw her. Maybe it was the spiked cocoa taking effect, or the fact that she had seen his scars that gave him the last push.

“Hey Judy?” he asked in a low voice, cupping his mug in his paws. “Mind if I ask somethin’?”  
“What?” Judy asked, her pulse starting to beat a little faster as Gideon moved closer to her on the sofa.

Gideon had thought about it a lot after he grew up. First, he had thought he did not want to know, that he was better off not knowing, but he could not stop thinking about it. Sometimes, just before he fell asleep, it hit him with a pang of guilt, and he had finally come to terms with the fact that he would need to know for sure to finally close that chapter of his life.

He slowly sat his mug down on the coffee table, drawing one long breath before speaking again.

“Did- did I leave a scar on ya?” He asked, dreading the answer. “Back when we were kids?”

“Oh” Judy put her paw over her left cheek, feeling the three narrow scars hidden beneath her fur.

“Don’t think about it” she tried to avoid answering directly. It probably would not have scarred anyway, had she just managed to keep from picking at the scabs, as her mother had told her too. But she had been nine, and it had itched.

“Please, I wanna see fer myself, if- if ya don’t mind? Ta get it outta my head” Gideon turned to face her on the couch, hesitantly raising his paw in front of him as he waited for her response.

Judy knew it was no use lying about it, though she could not help but worry that Gideon would not react very well to the three narrow scars on her cheek. Which she, to be honest, never gave much thought.

Finally, she nodded, letting her own paw fall back into her lap with a sigh.

Gideon swallowed audibly, carefully lifting his paw towards her. Judy gave him a careful smile, tilting her head slightly, allowing him to run his fingers over the soft fur on her cheek.

At first, he brushed his knuckles gently down towards her jaw, making her involuntary shiver. Then he cupped the side of her head with his large paw and ran his thumb back up towards her cheekbone. She could not help but lean her head into his paw, enjoying the feeling of his careful fingers against her fur.

Judy could tell when he felt the scars. Gideon went perfectly still, even his breathing stopped for a moment. Then he brushed his thumb over them again, and again, slowly lifting the short fur on her face and letting it fall back down. Revealing the narrow scars on her skin beneath the fur with each careful caress.

“Gideon…” Judy tried to lock her eyes on his, but he was fixated on her cheek, his eyes never moving away from the thin pale lines.

“I did this to ya” He whispered. Judy could see his jaw tightening and his eyes beginning to glace over.

“Gideon, we were _nine_ ” Judy insisted, putting her paw over his on her cheek, keeping him from brushing over her fur again. “It doesn’t matter”

“It matters ta me” He said intently, his clear blue eyes looking into hers.

Gideon had a pained look on his face that made Judy’s heart ache. Under her paw, his fingers were still carefully caressing her fur in small circles. Hesitantly, Judy began mimicking the gesture, slowly tracing circles on the back of his paw.

Gideon was slowly drowning in her eyes, every little movement on the back of his paw sending tingles up his arm. He felt himself leaning in, helplessly drawn towards her. At that moment, Gideon was as close to her as he had ever been, and it made him want her so badly it hurt. 

Judy’s heart began to pound as Gideon inched forward, slowly closing the small space between them. She knew what would happen if she closed her eyes, and she found herself longing for it, needing it just as she had needed his arms around her out in the snow. With the pain and worry from earlier gone, all that remained was the slow burning flame of newfound desire.

Resting the full weight of her head against his large paw, Judy let her eyes flutter shut.

His mouth was on hers not even a second after, the intensity of it surprising her enough to make her eyes fly open again for a moment. His lips were hot, pressing down on hers almost desperately, while his free paw came up to cup the other side of her face, holding her firmly against him.

Judy closed her eyes again with a soft sigh, feeling herself grow warm as Gideon continued to lean into her, causing her to lean back against the armrest behind her. Testily, Judy parted her lips just a fraction, feeling her heart race in anticipation.  She was not disappointed.

Gideon eagerly deepened the kiss, shifting to rest his forearm on the armrest by her head. He was completely on top of her now, resting on his knees and forearm, fervently pressing her into the cushions.

Judy instinctively bucked her hips up against the warm body of the male above her, letting go of a muffled moan when she felt a prominent bulge press back.  She was slowly beginning to burn, feeling it surge through her body and settle in her lower belly.

The soft sound of Judy’s moan brought Gideon back up from the feverish state he had fallen into, making him jolt upright. Panting, he looked down on Judy still laying on the couch; her lips looked swollen and her shirt had traveled up to expose some of the creamy white fur on her stomach.

Judy began to get up on her elbows, but before she could ask what was wrong, Gideon had gotten off the couch.

“I’m sorry. Judy I’m so sorry” Gideon backed away, his eyes wide and pleading.  
“I- I’ll go. I won’t come outta my room, I won’t-” he shook his head, casting his eyes down. “I’m sorry” he said one final time before hurrying out, slamming the door to the hallway behind him. Leaving a confused and more than just a little frustrated Judy alone on the couch.

 

 

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phu! Finally! This took several tries before I got it the way I wanted, resulting in a (for me) very long chapter and the fact that Christmas is no longer here. But one should always keep the Christmas spirit in ones hearts, right?  
> I hope this pleases the GreyHopps shippers out there.


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